Horror House
by thequeenxofhearts
Summary: The gang investigate the mysterious disappearance of a young couple, but a missing persons case suddenly becomes much more sinister, and a much darker story is revealed. Rated M just to be safe.
1. Chapter 1

Prologue

"It's too snowy. We should find somewhere to stop for the night." The girl said as she and her husband drove through a snow storm. "There isn't anywhere to stop. Unless you want to sleep in the car." He replied.

"It'll be safer than driving through this storm." She said, stubbornly, then "What's that?" She asked, as she pointed to a house in the distance. "We can't stay there!" He exclaimed as he looked at the house. "Why the hell not?" She asked, annoyed.

"It looks like the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland for one and two, we don't know the people who live there, if people _do_ live there." He exclaimed.

"We could die out here!" She exclaimed, he rolled his eyes and groaned, "Fine." He said, driving up to the house. "Oh look." She said, pointing to a sign outside the house: **CLIFFORD HOUSE BED AND BREAKFAST – VACANCY**

"Just our luck." She smiled, and he felt a little bit safer, "It's probably an old couple who own it and just don't have the money to renovate it." She smiled.

He pulled up outside the house and grabbed their case, they walked up to the house, "I'm starting to get a signal, only one bar though." She said, as she looked at her phone, "I'll text mom and tell we had to stop for the night, we'll be there tomorrow." She said. "Ok." He said, pushed open the door upon seeing the sign; **Please Come In** and **Open 24 Hours**

"Hello?" He asked as they stepped into the building, and towards a desk, a sign read **Ring Bell For Assistance** , he pressed the button on the desk, a few seconds later a dark haired man popped his head around the door behind the desk.

"Hello," He said. "How may I help you?" The man was wearing a navy-blue blazer with matching bottoms and a white shirt. His name badge read; _Georgie_.

"Do you have any rooms for the night?" The young man asked. "Yes we do," Georgie said as he grabbed a key on the wall behind him, "Come with me." He smiled, the couple followed him. "We have plenty of rooms, the storm had kept many people away." Georgie said. "Oh, that's a shame." She said, sympathetically.

Georgie led them room **37** , "Breakfast is at seven thirty, the owners, Mr and Mrs Clifford will prepare it for you." Georgie smiled, "Thank you." The young man said. "Goodnight." Georgie said. The woman looked at his name badge, "Goodnight, Georgie, see you tomorrow." She smiled, Georgie smiled back, "Alright." He said, sounding sarcastic.

That night, the couple slept soundly until the woman's arm became numb and she rolled onto her back, her eyes opened slightly as she rolled over, then a scream of terror filled the room.

Chapter 1

Buffallo, New York – 4 months later

The Gang's office

After graduating from high school, the gang decided they wanted to continue solving mysteries, they went to law school and they became detectives after working with the local police for a few years.

They started their own business, becoming self-employed, they became detectives/bounty hunters, and they thought their job was the best they could have ever had, though their families thought it was a dangerous job.

They hadn't long returned from New Mexico, after reports suggested someone was continuing the work Max, Steve and Laura had started, but it was just a couple of teenagers pranking the locals. They did run into Lester though, who hadn't changed a bit.

"There's nothing to do!" Velma exclaimed, as she banged her head on her desk, Daphne was watering the plants in the office and Shaggy was deciding where to go for lunch.

Scooby began to bark as a large envelope fell from the letter box onto the floor. Scooby picked it up and put it on Velma's desk. "Thanks Scooby." Velma said, throwing him a Scooby snack.

"What is it?" Fred asked, from the laptop. "Oh my gosh!" Velma exclaimed. "What?" Daphne asked, looking up from the potted plants. "It's that missing persons case from Michigan, you know that couple who disappeared before Christmas." Velma said.

"Seriously?" Shaggy asked, "It didn't take long for the police t'like, come t'us."

"I think they're desperate for us to be on this case." Velma said, "Why do you think that?" Fred asked. "Well, Jessica and Harry Allen have been missing for months and there's been nothing since day one. Not a single clue." Velma said. "They need us."

"Well, we're like America's greatest detectives, excludin' Batman." Shaggy said, rubbing his goatee, "Like, we need t'work on our combat skills."

Velma rolled her eyes, "Meeting time, guys!" She exclaimed, climbing up from the desk. She headed to the whiteboard. She pinned a picture of Jessica and Harry Allen onto the whiteboard and wrote their names under their picture.

Daphne, Fred, Shaggy and Scooby sat in the chairs set out in a semi-circle in front of the whiteboard, a coffee table stood in the middle, with the most recent case file in front of them.

"Jessica Louise Douglas, twenty-seven, born on July fourteenth, nineteen ninety-one in Duluth, Michigan." Fred said, Velma wrote it on the board. "And Harry Charles Allen, also twenty-seven, born on October twentieth, nineteen ninety-one, also born in Duluth, Michigan." Fred said. "They both moved to Hancock when Harry's job transferred him."

"Any distinguishing features?" Velma asked. "Jessica has mole on her lower back and a scar on her right hand, says she was bitten by her aunt's dog when she was seven." Fred said. "And Harry has a dragon tattoo on his leg and Jessica's name on his chest." Fred said.

"Is there a picture of those tattoos?" Velma asked, "Yes." Fred said, pulling the pictures out of the envelope, Velma pinned them to the board with a magnet, which was shaped like a dinosaur, thanks to Shaggy.

"Any vehicles?" Velma asked. "Yes, they were driving a red Ford Fiesta ST, license plate CFT 1867." Daphne said.

"Jobs?" Velma asked, as she wrote away. "Harry works for Jaguar, his boss said he was applying for a new company car a few days before the disappearance and the Fiesta is Jessica's." Fred said.

"The car is missing." Daphne added. "Ok." Velma added.

"The file says the investigation was affected by the snow storm, the police couldn't carry out a proper investigation until the roads had cleared properly, it was too dangerous." Fred said.

"Jessica was the assistant manager at Forever TwentyOne, but she was thinking about applying for another job." Daphne said.

"File says they were last seen at a gas station in Wakefield, Michigan." Daphne said, looking over Fred's shoulder. "Credit card statement proves it." Fred said. "Jessica called her mother, Angela Douglas, on the morning of December twentieth, she told her that she and Harry were leaving home at two PM and were expecting to arrive in Duluth at around sixish." Daphne said.

"But Jessica text Angela at eleven PM on December twentieth saying they were stopping in a hotel because of the storm and they would be arriving in Duluth on the afternoon of the twenty first." Fred said.

"That's a big-time difference." Velma said, shocked. "If they were expected to be in Duluth for six o'clock then why text at eleven? What happened between six o'clock and eleven o'clock?" Velma asked.

"Credit card statement says they paid for gas at four thirty." Fred said. "Which gas station?" Velma asked. "Statement just says _Wakefield Gas and Food_." Fred said, "All of his statements were emailed, the bank printed and sent the statement to the police, but it took them a while to locate the gas station because of the storm."

"Did they interview the guy who sold them the gas?" Velma asked. "Yes, his name is Luke Alexander." Fred said.

"That's all we've got." Daphne concluded, as Velma finished writing the last few notes on the board.

"I suggest we go to Michigan, speak to their bosses, colleagues, family and then try and find out where they went after the gas station." Fred said. "Let's load up the van."

"We should stop at the gas station." Shaggy said, "We'll need supplies if we're driving t'Michigan, plus I can put my portable sandwich toaster t'use." Shaggy said.

"Alright fine." Fred said, already beginning to smell the toasted cheese and chicken in the back in the Mystery Machine.

"We should go now." Velma said. The gang loaded up the Mystery Machine and headed to Michigan, stopping at the gas station just outside Buffalo.

Shaggy and Scooby went into the store and Fred filled up the van, Daphne and Velma stayed in the van, Daphne looked out the window, staring at Fred. "Do you think he's been acting differently?" Daphne asked quietly. "I don't know, why do you ask?" Velma asked as she read through the file, barely paying attention to Daphne.

"I think he has, ever since his mom moved out of that house." Daphne said. "His mom only moved six miles away from her old house." Velma said. "He's not keen on change." Daphne said. "It didn't stop him moving in with you." Velma said. "That's a bit different, his mom was still living there when he moved in with me." Daphne said.

"Also…that house was the last place he was with his dad." Daphne said. "Oh." Velma said, looking up from the papers. "That was _years_ ago." Velma said. "I know." Daphne sighed.

Fred climbed back into the van, "Just waiting for the boys now." He said, smiling. Daphne smiled back at him. Shaggy and Scooby returned with their arms filled with food. "Typical." Velma muttered as they climbed into the van. "Let's go." Shaggy said.

* * *

 **I know I said I was going to publish this on October 16th, but I was just too excited and couldn't wait any longer. I am so proud of this fanfic and I hope you like it as much as I do.**

 **Rated M just to be safe.**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Cleveland, Ohio

The gang stopped in a hotel in Cleveland, they still had a way to go before they reached Hancock, Michigan.

Velma had her own room, where she researched away, Shaggy and Scooby shared a room and Daphne and Fred shared. Shaggy and Scooby were watching R.E.D on the movie channel whilst they ate their snacks. Daphne was finishing brushing her teeth whilst Fred was on the phone to his mother.

"She ok?" Daphne asked as Fred ended the phone conversation. "Yeah, she's fine. She said she'll keep an eye on the house while we're gone, she's turned off the gas and the heating and she'll water the plants in the office." Fred smiled, "But she's worried about us going to Michigan."

"We'll be fine, Freddy. We always are." Daphne smiled as she climbed into bed with him. "Mom knows that too, but you know what she's like, she's worried ever since we started doing this job." Fred said, Daphne smiled again.

"But it does feel good though, solving cases and helping people who need us." Fred said. "It does." Daphne smiled.

There was a knock on the door, Daphne climbed out of the bed to answer it, Velma was stood at the door with her laptop, Shaggy and Scooby standing behind her.

"I found something." Velma said, stepping into the room, Shaggy closed the door behind them. "You should probably sit down." Velma said.

Fred sat up, Daphne sat on the bed, Scooby sat on the floor next to the armchair where Shaggy sat, and Velma sat at the desk with her laptop. "Like what did you find Velm?" Shaggy asked.

"A lot." Velma said. "So, I searched the hotels between Duluth and Hancock and I found one hundred."

Everyone sighed, "Then I reread the files and the night they disappeared, Jessica texted her mom at eleven o'clock at night saying they were staying at a hotel, they were supposed to be at Duluth at six o'clock. They were, according to the credit card statement, at the Wakefield gas station at four o'clock, leaving two hours to get to Duluth at six o'clock."

Shaggy yawned, "Stay with me Shaggy." Velma said, Shaggy nudged Scooby awake with his foot.

"So, between four and six they go missing." Fred said. "Don't forget the snow storm." Daphne added. "Right, that would have increased their travel time by at least an hour, so let's say seven o'clock." Velma said.

"Keeping on the snow storm," Velma said, picking up her note pad, "The storm caused interference with the cell phones, so Jessica probably texted her Angela Douglas between four and seven o'clock but the text didn't go through, and wasn't received by Angela Douglas, until eleven o'clock." Velma said.

Fred and Daphne exchanged looks, "That would explain the time difference." Fred said. "Agreed." Velma said. "So, I searched hotels between Wakefield and Duluth, with regular vacancy, and I found seven."

Daphne's eyes widened, Shaggy sat up in the chair. "Then what?" He asked. " _Then_ I found out that three other people disappeared from Michigan in the last six months; Ryan Jackson, Molly Brown and Hannah Farr. Molly and Hannah were a couple who got lost coming back from Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest. I don't know about Ryan Jackson." Velma said.

"Maybe their disappearances are linked?" Daphne asked. "Maybe." Velma said. "But the police report said that after the storm cleared, they drove up the road from the gas station up to Duluth and couldn't find anything relating to the missing couple."

"But, they did find a hotel coming out of the Wakefield, it was at the back of the file." Velma began, "The owners of the Clifford House Bed and Breakfast said that they hadn't seen Jessica _or_ Harry. Police searched the property but didn't find anything."

"So, tomorrow we go to the gas station in Wakefield and then the hotel the police found." Fred said. "Good idea." Shaggy said.

The next morning, the gang had breakfast in the café across the road, then Fred put the coordinate into the Mystery Machine's GPS and the gang headed to Wakefield.

After stopping a few times for food and to use the bathroom, the gang finally arrived in Wakefield. "I think that's it up there." Velma said, pointing to an upcoming gas station with a sign on the roof **WAKEFIELD GAS AND FOOD**

"Luke Alexander, one of the last people to see the couple alive, should be working in there." Velma said.

Fred pulled into the gas station, "We could use some gas too. Shag fill her up, Daph and I are going to see if we can find Luke Alexander and speak to him." Fred said as he, Daphne and Shaggy climbed out of the van. Scooby was wrestling a tube of Pringles, Velma was reading over the files.

Shaggy started putting gas in the Mystery Machine and Fred and Daphne went into the store.

They walked up to the counter where a young man stood on his phone. The young man was tall and skinny with dirty blonde hair and blue eyes which remained glued to his phone. His name badge read ' _Luke'_

Fred cleared his throat, "We're paying for gas from pump number four." He said, casually. Luke looked up from his phone and at the computer screen, "That'll be twenty-six dollars." He said, Fred put $30 on the counter, Luke looked up at Fred. "Hey, you're those detectives, Fred Jones and Daphne Blake, right?" He asked. Daphne nodded. "What are you doing here?" Luke asked. "We're investigating the recent missing persons case." Fred said.

Daphne and Fred showed him their detective badges, "We know you were interviewed by the police after the disappearance." Daphne said. "Yes, I was." Luke said, "Which case are you talking about?"

"What do you mean? Were there any other missing persons cases you were interviewed for?" Fred asked. "Just Ryan Jackson, he's my cousin." Luke said. "I'm sorry." Fred apologised. "It's nothing to worry about." Luke said.

"When did he disappear?" Daphne asked. "October thirty-first last year, after my Halloween party." Luke said. "He told me he was staying at that hotel in Ironwood, Clifford House I think he said. When he left my party, he was going to stay at the hotel."

"How far is Ironwood from here?" Daphne asked. "About twenty minutes up the road. There's not much around it, only grassland, but there's a diner a little further up." Luke said. "Thank you, Luke." Fred said. "There is someone who might be able to help you. I don't know what his name is, but I know he lives in a caravan park, he used to work for the family who own Clifford House." Luke said. "The caravan park is down the road, first left and straight on."

"Thank you so much for the help." Daphne said. "Here's your change." Luke said. "Keep it, thanks for the help." Fred said. "Thanks man." Luke said, smiling slightly. "Oh, one more thing, can we stay in the parking lot for a while?" Fred asked. "Umm…sure." Luke said, confused, looking at the them both.

Fred and Daphne stepped out of the store, "I realise that what I said to him sounded suggestive." Fred said, Daphne laughed.

They return to the van and Fred moved into the parking lot next to the gas station. Velma signs into their online detective portal and brings up the missing persons files and bring up Ryan Jackson's file.

"Yes, Luke Alexander _is_ Ryan Jackson's cousin and he did disappear on October thirty-first last year." Velma said. "The missing persons report was filled out on November third, Luke was interviewed on November fifth, as he was one of the last people to see him." Velma said.

"Everyone else at the party was drunk, I guess?" Shaggy asked, "Drunk and doing drugs." Velma said, "There was also a drug investigation and Ryan's disappearance was kind of put on a shelf, until all of the party goers were interviewed, it affected the case, but none of them were suspects." Velma said.

Daphne looked at the laptop, "Luke said in his statement that Ryan wasn't drinking at the party and he didn't know about the drugs, but he was staying at a nearby hotel." Daphne said.

"Like, what hotel was it?" Shaggy asked. "Clifford House." Daphne said. Velma Google searched Clifford House. "The hotel opened thirty years ago, the owners are Thomas and Luelle Clifford, they named the house after themselves." Velma said, in an odd voice. "So, lots people name things after themselves." Daphne said. "That's why its weird." Velma said.

"They have five children." Velma said, then, "Oh, _had_."

 _Had_?" Shaggy asked.

"One of their daughters, Beatrice, was murdered in the house nine years ago." Velma said. "What?" Fred asked.

"It says she was murdered by a guest named Jack English. He had apparently been out drinking and returned to the hotel, when he walked up the stairs he bumped into the children and out of nowhere he threw Beatrice down the stairs." Velma said.

"Oh my god." Fred said. "She was only five and the fall broke her neck and spine, she died straight away." Velma said.

"Jack English was given a life sentence." Shaggy said, as he looked at the laptop. "Yeah, some jackass made up rumours that the Beatrice was haunting the hotel, plus it was the sight of a murder. Loads of people started visiting the hotel, but then the Clifford's warned people that if they were only coming to the hotel to 'find Beatrice's ghost' then they were asked to leave." Velma said.

"I think we should check out the hotel." Velma said. "No, we need to go somewhere else first. Luke said a man who used to work for the family lives in a caravan park down the road." Daphne said. "He might be able to help us before we go to the hotel." Fred said.

"Alright then." Velma said, "Let's go."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The gang arrived at the caravan park, there was a man sitting in a deck chair watching them. Shaggy decided to speak to him. "Excuse me, buddy." He said, showing him his detective badge, "We're lookin' for someone, we're not sure what his name is but he used t'work for the family who own Clifford House."

The man studied him, "You investigatin' those disappearances?" He asked. "Yes." Shaggy replied, the man pointed to a column of caravans, "Down there, number fourteen. His name is Roy Bottleman." The man said. "Thanks man." Shaggy said.

"Hey." The man said. "He's not in trouble, is he?" He asked. Shaggy shook his head, "No we just need t'ask him a few questions." Shaggy said, the man nodded, "He's a good man." He said, before letting Shaggy go.

The gang walked down the caravan column, they stopped at number 14. "Like, this is it." Shaggy said. The caravan was slightly grey, it had a deck chair folded up and leaning on the side of the caravan, there was plants potted on the side and were well taken care of.

Velma knocked on the door, after a few seconds it opened, and a man stood there. He was in his 60's, he was tall and skinny, and he wore brown corduroys and a white t-shirt. "Hello, are you Roy Bottleman?" Fred asked. "Yes, and who are you?" He asked. "We're detectives, we're investigating the disappearance of Harry and Jessica Allen." Fred said. "Do you mind if we ask you a few questions?" The gang showed him their badges.

"It's about time someone looked into that properly." Roy said, "Come in."

The gang entered the caravan, it was small, and slightly crowded, Roy gestured for Daphne and Velma to sit at the small round table with him, Fred and Shaggy sat on the long sofa. "Do you mind if we record this interview?" Daphne asked. "Of course not." Roy said. Daphne put her recorder on the table and pressed the red button.

"Can you tell us your full name please." Velma said. "Roy David Bottleman." He said. "We understand you used to work for the Clifford's, is that correct?" Velma asked. "I used to be the gardener for Mr and Mrs Clifford." He said, "The parents of one of the owners of Clifford House."

"What were their names?" Daphne asked. "Mrs Clifford was called Alice and Mr Clifford was called Jacob." Roy said.

"What do you know about the current owners of Clifford House, Thomas and Luelle Clifford?" Fred asked. "Alice and Jacob owned a big house just outside Merriweather. Thomas was their only child, he met Luelle Lane when he was eleven, I think around eleven." Roy said rubbing his chin, "It was those two who came up with the idea for a hotel."

"Where did the idea come from?" Velma asked. "In the Summer, Luelle and Thomas built a hotel for ladybirds in the garden. It was just a dream of theirs." Roy said.

"What do you know about the hotel?" Daphne asked. "Thomas and Luelle built it in nineteen eighty-eight, they got married the following year and the hotel flourished. Thomas and Luelle had plans to expand their hotel and they wanted to their hotel to be the money maker of Ironwood." Roy said.

"If Thomas and Luelle were both from Merriweather, why move and start a business in another town when they can make benefits their hometown?" Fred asked. "Because Luelle wanted to leave Merriweather. Her younger sister Primrose drowned in the river when she was sixteen, Luelle didn't want to stay anymore so they moved to Ironwood." Roy said.

"How did Primrose drown? I mean, what caused her to drown in the river?" Velma asked. "Well I heard that she slipped on the riverside and fell into the river, she apparently hit her head on a rock and fell unconscious and drowned beneath the water surface." Roy said. "Anyway, Thomas and Luelle had their first child in nineteen ninety-eight, his name was Elias."

"I stopped being the gardener just after their seconds son, Toby, was born, my wife, Mary-Anne, was sick and I needed to take care of her. I didn't see much of the Clifford's. Until they came to Mary-Anne's funeral." Roy said. "I'm sorry about your wife." Daphne said. "Thank you, young lady." Roy replied.

"Did you ever see the Clifford's again?" Shaggy asked. "Yes, I bumped into Alice a few years after at the market, and she told me that Thomas and Luelle had had three more children, Maggie and twin girls Rosie and Beatrice. But she looked nervous and suddenly ran off and that was the last I heard of her." Roy said, "But they were in the papers a few days later, well _mentioned_ in the papers, Alice and Jacob died in a car accident. Nobody contacted me about the funeral, so I just assumed that it was small and private because the children were still young." Roy said.

"Do you think that was strange?" Fred asked. "Not really, Alice and Jacob, though they were nice people, they didn't have friends and they had no siblings, so it made sense for the funeral to be private and small." Roy said. "But I only ever met Elias, I left before Thomas and Luelle brought Toby to see Alice and Jacob, he'd be about twentyish now." Roy said.

"Did you know that the Clifford's young daughter, Beatrice, died in the house?" Velma asked. "Yes, it was all over the news, it happened about nine years ago. The investigation lasted a while and the man, I can't remember his name, was given a life sentence. He claimed he didn't touch the girl, but he had no alibi and he had been in the hotel as well." Roy said.

"Thank you for the information, Roy. It's helped us a lot." Daphne smiled. "I really hope you solve the case." Roy said, "There's something not quite right about the Clifford's." He said.

As the gang walked back to the Mystery Machine, they discussed the interview. "I think this helped a lot." Daphne said. "Now it's time to check out the hotel." Fred said. "Creepy hotel, here we come." Shaggy said.

As the gang stepped into the hotel, Shaggy realised it was everything he thought it would be; old photographs and lit candles on the walls and shelves, and plastic flowers in china vases on cabinets scattered around the lobby.

There was a man stood behind the desk talking to a young couple. "Here's the key to your room, there is a diner down the road which is open until eleven o'clock." The man smiled, "Thank you." The couple said as they headed up the stairs.

"Hello, my name is Johnny, how may I help you?" The man asked. "Hello, do you have any rooms for a couple nights?" Fred asked. "Yes, we do." Johnny said, "How many five?"

"Just three please." Fred said. "Ok, how long will you be staying with us?" Johnny asked. "Well, we're on business so we're not exactly sure." Daphne said.

"Ok, well you can just pay at the end of your stay." Johnny smiled, grabbing some keys off the shelf behind him. "Thank you." Fred said. "Rooms seven, eight and nine." Johnny said. "Thank you." Daphne said. The gang headed to their rooms. Shaggy and Scooby had room seven, Daphne and Fred in room eight and Velma in room nine.

"Hey, I'm hungry. Can we get something to eat?" Daphne asked as she laid on the bed, Fred looking at the two missing persons files in his hands. "Yeah, sure. I'm starving." He said, rubbing his eyes. Daphne and Fred went to get the others and then they headed to the diner.

Whilst they were sat in the diner, Daphne noticed the couple from the hotel enter the diner, she only noticed them because of how much Fred admired their beautiful convertible which he saw parked outside the hotel when they arrived, and was now parked next to the Mystery Machine. As much as he loved the Mystery Machine, he longed for a fast, sports car. She could see him driving that; him and her pulling up to the office or a crime scene in a sports car.

After they had eaten, and began to feel tired, the gang returned to the hotel, the couple left the diner not long after them and went to their room.

Thankful that she decided to leave the laptop and paperwork in the van, she knew she'd be up until the crack of dawn looking through files, Velma rubbed her heavy eyes and curled up into the bed, quickly falling asleep.

Scooby curled up at the foot of Shaggy's bed and the two discussed their favourite pizzeria in New York, "Scoob, we have t'go back! We've gotta take a trip down t'Brooklyn and visit Rizzo and Lombardi's!" Shaggy exclaimed. "Reah, Reah!" Scooby replied. "Man, they do the best veggie pizzas in the world." Shaggy said. "But we still have Subway across the road from the office." He said, happily.

"Love you too, bye mom." Fred said, hanging up the phone. "I love her, but she worries so much." He said, Daphne smiled, "She just loves you, she's trusts you as much as I do."

Fred smiled as he laid next to Daphne. "I've been thinking about repainting our bedroom." Daphne said. "I've been thinking about redecorating the whole _house_." Fred said. "We need to our room first, it's horrible." Daphne said. "I was thinking maybe blue, or yellow."

"Yellow?" Fred said in disgust, as he curled up to Daphne, pressing his lips against hers, and she kissed him back straight away. The kiss started to become more and more passionate. Being careful so she wouldn't break the kiss, Daphne pushed Fred onto his back and climbed on top of him.

Then a horrifying scream filled the house.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

 _2 years ago, in Ironbelt, not far from Ironwood_

 _Police Commissioner Maxwell and Detective Howard arrived at the home of Daniel and Penelope Blackwell, who had just reported their daughter and granddaughter missing._

 _Penelope Blackwell held a tissue in one hand and her other hand held tightly to her husband's shaking hand._

 _"When was the last time you saw Michelle and Ruby?" Detective Howard asked the couple. "Just over a week ago." Daniel said. "They were taking a trip down to Minneapolis, Michelle said she'd call when they got there, but she didn't. We thought perhaps she was tired after the journey and just forgot, or her phone wasn't charged, and we thought she'd ring the next day, but she didn't."_

 _"So, we called her, but she didn't answer, so we phoned the hotel. Michelle had shown us pictures of the hotel and we found it on the internet, the phone number too. We phoned the hotel and they said that Michelle and Ruby should have checked in the day before, but they hadn't." Penelope said._

 _"We tried ringing Michelle, again and again, but no answer." Daniel said, "That's when we called the police."_

 _"Ok, what we're going to do is speak to you both separately. Mr Blackwell, may I speak to you in the kitchen?" Detective Howard asked. "Yes of course." Daniel said, slowly standing up and leaving his wife in the living room with Commissioner Maxwell._

 _"Can you tell me about Michelle and Ruby, Mrs Blackwell." The Commissioner asked, Penelope nodded. "I'm going to record this ok." He said, she nodded again. "Michelle was our only child. She was well behaved, and she loved Ruby more than anything in the world." Penelope said. "How old are they?" The Commissioner asked._

 _"Michelle is thirty-two and Ruby is five." Penelope said. "Michelle raised Ruby by herself since her birth, she had an argument with Ruby's father not long after she was born, and they split up. Tobias loved Ruby, but he seemed to put drugs before her, we didn't know at the time that he was a drug dealer, and he was doing drugs often. The police raided his apartment and found all the drugs whilst Ruby was there, she was just over a year old, and then Michelle had full custody, Tobias went to jail."_

 _"What were Michelle and Ruby wearing when you saw them last." The Commissioner asked. "I saw them the day before they left for Minneapolis, so I wouldn't have known what they were wearing on the day, but the last time I saw them, Ruby was wearing red sparkly dress and black sparkly tights and Michelle was wearing black jeans and a sparkly navy-blue shirt. We went out for dinner the day before they left." Penelope said._

 _"They live across the road, so we usually see them every day, this was the first time we weren't going to see them for a few days." She said. "Where did you go for dinner?" Commissioner Maxwell asked._

 _"We went to Giovanentina's Pizzeria, Ruby and Michelle love pizza, and the owners are so lovely to Ruby." Penelope said. "Thank you, Mrs Blackwell. We'll contact the police in Minneapolis and see if they're in the city anywhere, and we'll keep you informed. In the meantime, are there any recent photographs of Ruby and Michelle you wouldn't mind giving us to be printed?" He asked. "Of course not." Penelope said._

 _She walked over the mantlepiece and gave the Commissioner a photo frame, which had a picture inside. "This was taken on Ruby's Birthday, last month." Penelope said. "Commissioner, please don't be subtle with my husband and I, if you don't find them please tell us. Michelle and Ruby are all we have, we are old, and we just want closure." She said._

 _"Of course, I will, Mrs Blackwell." The Commissioner said. "Please call me Penelope, Ruby always did." She said._

Present Day, in Ironbelt

Commissioner Maxwell stood in the cemetery standing over the graves of Mr and Mrs Blackwell, who died a few days apart from each other, exactly two years after they reported Ruby and Michelle missing.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Daphne and Fred jumped out of bed and ran out of their room, they ran to Velma's room, who had just jumped out of her bed upon hearing the scream, Shaggy and Scooby came out of their room, "Like, we thought it was Daph, or Velma." Shaggy said. Velma gasped, "The couple who are staying here! It was probably the woman!" She exclaimed, the gang walked hurriedly, but cautiously, down the hall. When they saw the open door, they popped their heads into the room.

Fred gasped, Daphne grabbed his hand and attached herself to him, Velma stood wide-eyed, trembling, and Shaggy grabbed Scooby. They recognised the woman from one of the photographs, standing in the bedroom, holding a bloody axe over the young couple she had just murdered.

The gang ran across the hall and down to the lobby, Shaggy dragging Velma. Fred tried to open the door, but it was locked. "Thomas!" A woman's voice screamed through the house, it was Luelle Clifford.

The gang scanned the lobby for a way out, Shaggy found a door opposite the check-in desk, he pushed it and it opened. "That's the basement." Velma said. "We don't have a choice." Daphne said.

The gang ran down into the dark basement; Shaggy opened a door next to the stairs, it was a small storage closet, he and Scooby hid inside it. Velma was small enough to fit under a unit without being noticed and Daphne and Fred hid behind a shelving unit, holding each other tightly.

And finally, they began to smell the horrible smell in the basement. Velma covered her nose and mouth, and Daphne buried her face in Fred's chest, it didn't make it any better, but she felt a little bit safer and Fred stroked her hair and brushed her cheek with his fingertips.

From under the unit, Velma could make out a table in the middle of the room, she imagined that the basement looked like a mad man's workshop.

The basement door opened, and heavy footsteps stomped down, they hear a clicking noise, then "Fucking lights gone out!" A man boomed, Velma trembled under the unit, her hand covering her mouth to block out the smell, and to stop herself screaming and crying.

The footsteps stomped back up and then returned, Thomas Clifford scans the basement with a flashlight, he doesn't see Daphne, Fred or Velma but he opens the storage closet where Shaggy and Scooby are hiding.

Velma watched from under the unit, Thomas slammed the closet door shut and stomped back upstairs, "They're not here!" He shouted, slamming the basement door behind him.

The gang waited a few minutes before they climbed out of their hiding places, Shaggy and Scooby stepped out of the closet. "He didn't see you." Velma said quietly. "We hid on top of a shelf, behind a box." Shaggy whispered back.

"We should look around, we need evidence to back up what we saw." Fred said quietly, the gang nodded, but secretly they had all wished that Fred said they should try and find a way out, each member of the gang trying to be brave for the others.

Daphne opened one of the draws of the shelving unit she and Fred hid behind. Expecting it to be filled with knives and other equipment, she was surprised to find it filled with papers. Her trembling hands pulled the papers out of the drawer. One of the papers looked like a hand drawn map of the hotel. "HOUSE" was marked in a black, thick pen with a square around it. And scattered around the page were X's with O's around them. "I think I found some evidence." She said as she realised the other papers were missing persons flyers, all numbered 1-18.

"Do you think these numbers and this map could be linked?" Daphne asked as the gang looked at the paper. "Maybe." Fred said. "Like, we _need_ t'get outta here." Shaggy said. "Reah." Scooby said.

The others nodded, desperately. "But we should be prepared, they could be waiting for us." Fred said. "They didn't find us in here." Velma said. "They might be in the lobby." Fred replied.

"Oh crap, the Mystery Machine keys are up in the room." Fred said. "We'll just have t'break the window an' hot-wire it." Shaggy said, as he grabbed knifes from inside one of the cupboard drawers.

Shaggy stepped towards the basement steps, "The door was locked remember." Velma said quietly. "We'll smash open a window and climb out." Shaggy said. Velma looked back at Fred and Daphne for reassurance, they both smiled the best they could. Scooby behind Fred, staying close to him.

As Shaggy reached for the door handle, Fred and Daphne grabbed each other's hands, Velma put her hand on Shaggy's back, "Be careful." She whispered. Shaggy pushed the door open and stepped into the lobby, Daphne quickly tucked the papers up her shirt in case the Cliffords saw her with them and tried to get them back.

As Velma stepped into the lobby, she looked at the window. Clutching the back of Shaggy's t-shirt, she looked back to him, and out of the corner of her eye she saw movement.

Thomas and Luelle carried the bloody body of the young female who was murdered only 15 minutes ago, down the stairs. Shaggy was trying not to gag, Daphne and Velma were too scared to react, Thomas was carrying the axe under his arm. He put the body on the floor, but before he could take a step towards the gang, Scooby jumped out from behind Fred and tackled Thomas, knocking him to the floor.

Shaggy snatched the axe and smashed the window open. Luelle screamed as she saw Thomas trying to push the resilient Scooby-Doo off himself.

Shaggy climbed out of the window, helping the rest of the gang escape, then whistled for Scooby, who jumped out of the window.

Fred smashed open the Mystery Machine window, and then Velma remembered putting a spare key to van in the secret compartment. Fred lifted Velma through the window, she pulled the key out of the compartment and unlocked the door. Fred and Daphne climbed into the van and Fred started the engine, Velma opened the back doors and Shaggy and Scooby jumped into the van as it pulled away.

Thomas opened the front door, but he was too late, the gang had escaped.

"Where do we go? Where do we go?" Velma asked as the Mystery Machine sped down the road. "We need to find a police station!" Daphne exclaimed. "Our badges are still in the hotel!" Velma exclaimed.

"It doesn't matter, we still have to report it!" Fred exclaimed.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Topaz Police Station – Precinct 11

Detective Alessandro sat in the office he shared with his partner, he kept looking at a photograph of his family, he couldn't wait to take his children to Italy to meet the rest of their family.

The door burst open and he recognised his partners face of terror. "You need to see this." Detective Green said. Alessandro rose from his chair and followed Green into the reception area. Immediately he recognised the 4 young detectives and their dog.

Alessandro and many others at the station admired the young detectives, not just for their keenness in solving crimes but their success rate. He knew Velma, who was 23, was the youngest of the detective team and they had solved 100's of cases; murders, rapes, robberies and frauderies.

Alessandro looked at then gang, who all looked white and horrified. "What's the wrong?" Alessandro asked. They looked lost for words, so Alessandro and Green took them into the office.

As they stepped into the office, the gang seemed to regain their collectiveness. "Now what is the matter?" Alessandro asked, Shaggy admired his Italian accent, he spent 2 months travelling around Italy after he graduated from high school. His accent brought back the memories of his trip; the food, the friendliness of the people and sights.

Daphne laid the papers on the desk, and the gang told them what they had seen at the hotel. Daphne pointed at the X's inside O's on the makeshift map, "We think these are where the missing victims are buried." Daphne said, Alessandro and Green looked at her, startled. "Are you certain?" Alessandro asked. "Yes." Velma said.

"After what we saw, we are pretty sure." Fred said. "Why else would they have these flyers in their basement, with his map."

"But there are twenty-four x's and o's and only eighteen missing people. Unless the other six x's and o's are where they plan t'bury more victims?" Shaggy asked, cringing at the though. "But how would they know?" Velma asked.

"We also have this." Daphne said, laying the recorder on the table, "This is Roy Bottleman who used to work for the family. We interviewed him, and he told us what he knew from working with the family. But he said something wasn't right about them." She said. She played the recording, the gang and the detectives listened. Then Velma realised something, she paused the recording as it neared the end.

"Roy said that Luelle and Thomas had two children, the second one just before he left. Then when he bumped into Alice Clifford at the market, she told him that Luelle and Thomas had three more children, there are pictures of children inside the house, but there was no sign of any children living the house." Velma said.

"Maybe they're with a relative?" Shaggy asked. "Maybe, or boarding school." Daphne suggested. "Hmm.." Velma wondered. "Unfortunately, we'll have to discuss this later, we _need_ to arrest the Cliffords." Fred said. Alessandro nodded, he grabbed his radio from the desk, "All squads return to station." He said into the radio.

The squads returned to the station, each squad consisted of six detectives and each squad had a different name; Alpha, Beta and Omega.

The gang told the squads what they had seen at the hotel and talked them through the plan. Once everyone was briefed on the plan, they suited up. The gang put on their bulletproof vests and their holsters, Shaggy tightened Scooby's bulletproof police dog jacket and adjusted his collar, "You look very brave, Scoob." Shaggy said. "Rank roo." Scooby said, "Roo roo Raggy."

"Daphne," Fred began, "we escaped from the hotel earlier, but in case something happens when we go back, I just-"

Daphne cut him off. "I love you too, but we'll be ok. There's going to be other detectives and many armed officers there with us. We'll be ok." She said, before she pressed her lips against his, they kissed passionately. Daphne pulled away and told Fred to finish suiting up. Then they joined the gang in one of the squad vans.

As they travelled to the hotel, Shaggy felt like he had to get something off his chest, he took a deep breath, "Hey gang." He said, Daphne, Fred, Velma and Scooby looked at him, some of the other detectives looked at him too.

"In all the years we've been solving these mysteries and cases, this is one is the scariest." He said, "We've never actually witnessed a murder before, and I need you guys t'know how much you mean t'me. You're my family, and I love all of you." Daphne and Fred held hands, Velma smiled at Shaggy, reaching for his hand, he took it.

"Everything will be fine." One of the detectives said, "We're all here to back you up."

"Do you know how much you guys are admired in Precinct Eleven?" Another detective asked. "We had no idea we were admired at all." Velma said.

"Well you are, heck you guys are years younger than everyone in all three of these vans. You've successfully solves murders, rapes, robbery cases and Detective Rogers assisted in saving hostages in the bank two years ago. Everyone here has your back." The detective said. "My name is Detective Wood, this is Detective Kowalski and Detective Porter." Detective Wood said. "We know who you guys are." Kowalski smiled as Velma was about to introduce herself and the gang.

As they arrived in Ironwood, the Squad vans parked half a mile down the road and they walked cautiously to the hotel. They stopped a few feet from the bottom of the little hill below the hotel and crouched down.

A 2005 Cadillac XLR pulled up outside the hotel, inside were two detectives who were dressed in civilian clothes. They wore button up shirts as they their bulletproof vests under the clothes. As they entered the hotel, the gang and the squads watched from the bottom of the hill.

Georgie was stood at the desk, "Hello, how may I help you?" He asked. "I'm Robert, this is my wife Louise. We got lost on our way to New York. My wife can't fly due to health problems, and the lady at the diner mentioned this hotel. Do you have any rooms for the night?" 'Robert' asked.

"Yes, we do." Georgie smiled. "Oh brilliant! I'll get the case from the car, I'll be right back with you." 'Robert' smiled, walking back towards the door.

He went to the car and pulled out the suitcase, that's the signal. He returned to the hotel and then, "Police get down!" The lead detective shouted as the squads stormed into the hotel with their guns pointed, Georgie put his hands up.

Daphne and Fred led the Beta squad down to the basement, Shaggy and Scooby went upstairs with Alpha. Omega stayed downstairs, two of the detectives stayed with Velma, arresting Georgie, the other four searched outside the hotel.

In the basement, Beta noticed that all the cupboards had been opened and the drawers were hanging out the unit, someone was looking for something. But even worse, the smell of blood was still present, in fact it was probably stronger. And there was something lying under a white sheet on top of a table in the middle of the room.

Beta searched around the basement, but Fred suddenly gasped. Daphne and Beta squad looked at him, Thomas Clifford was holding a knife to Fred's neck. Daphne gasped, she and Beta pointed their guns at Thomas.

"Put the guns down, or he dies." Thomas said sharply. Daphne felt the anger and fear building up inside her, no way was she going to let Fred be one of his victims. She kept her eyes on Thomas, he was watching her. "Let him go." Daphne said. "I will, when you put your guns down and leave my house." Thomas said.

Daphne didn't reply, she and Beta kept their guns on Thomas. "What have you been up to these last few years?" Daphne asked, but she quickly regretted asking as Thomas seemed to tighten his grip on the knife, Fred gasped, his neck was starting to sting, and he felt blood coming dripping down his neck. Daphne's heart was racing, Fred watched Daphne. "Please don't kill him." Daphne begged, her gun still pointed, hands shaking.

Suddenly, there was a gun shot. Daphne looked down at her hands, she hadn't pulled the trigger. Thomas fell backwards and collapsed at the bottom of the stairs. As he fell, the knife ran across Fred's neck, and he felt his head spin. Daphne ran to his aid, she laid him down on the floor.

Velma stepped into the basement, holding a gun, "Is everyone ok?" She asked, she looked at Fred and Daphne, who pulled a band aid out of her pocket and pressed it to Fred's neck.

Beta surrounded Thomas, he was dead.

"He deserved it." Velma spat.


	7. Chapter 7

Wakefield Hospital

Daphne sat in the chair in the waiting room, Fred was in the room with the doctor who was putting dressing on his wounded neck. The doctor prescribed Fred with antibiotics so the wound wouldn't get infected. Fred and Daphne then left for Topaz Precinct Eleven Police Station.

Velma, Shaggy and Scooby were watching the interrogation of Georgie from behind the two-way mirror. As usual, Velma was taking notes during the interrogation, even though Alessandro had the tape recording on the desk.

Georgie admitted that he and Johnny knew about the killings but chose to do nothing about it.

"Why?" Detective Alessandro asked, "Knowing they were killing innocent people, why did you keep it to yourselves?"

"It was none of our business." Georgie said, simply. Detectives Green and Alessandro sighed, "Alright, you'll be taken to a cell and await trial. Can you give us the location of Johnny's home?" Green asked. "Yes, I can." Georgie said slowly. "Why would you give him up, but not tell anyone about the murders?" Alessandro asked.

"If I'm going down, Johnny's coming with me." Georgie said.

After Georgie gave them Johnny's address, a police officer removed Georgie from the interrogation room, Alessandro and Green took a break. They sent two officers to find and arrest Johnny.

Daphne and Fred entered the interrogation room with Velma, Shaggy and Scooby, then Alessandro and Green returned and sat at the table. Daphne sat Fred a chair and rested her hand on the back of his neck, playing with the strands of his hair.

Less than a minute later, a police officer entered the interrogation room with Luelle Clifford, hands and feet cuffed. She sat at the table, Alessandro began recording the interrogation, Green and Velma taking notes.

"Why did you and your husband commit all those murders?" Alessandro asked. Luelle didn't say anything, she looked nervous.

"Luelle, what did you and your husband think you could gain from murder? Did you think you'd get away with it and nobody would notice twenty plus missing people?" Alessandro asked.

Luelle remained silent.

"If Thomas had control over you, you don't need to worry anymore, he's gone now." Alessandro said, Luelle looked at him, staring straight into his eyes. "It was his idea." She said, slowly.

"What was his idea?" Alessandro asked. Luelle swallowed. "Start from the beginning, Luelle." Alessandro said.

"My sister." She took a deep breath, "Thomas and I started dating when we were fifteen. When I was nineteen, I went back to my parents' house to pick something up and I caught her and Thomas in bed. Primrose was sixteen at the time, she said Thomas seduced her, but she'd flirt with every man who walked by her." Luelle said. "Thomas is the same age as you?" Alessandro asked. "Yes." Luelle said.

Shaggy remembered, not long ago, when Sugie came home crying, after she'd caught her boyfriend sleeping her best friend. Shaggy and Scooby stayed up all night with Sugie whilst she cried. He was surprised how quickly his baby sister changed, from dolls and imaginary play to boys and broken hearts.

"The next day I heard she was dead." Luelle said. "My mother said she was found on the riverbank, after she fell and drowned, but Thomas told me that he drowned her in the river and hit her with a rock, so people would think she fell." Luelle said.

"And you kept it to yourself?" Alessandro asked. "Thomas told me if I told anyone about him sleeping with Primrose, and killing her, then he'd kill me too." Luelle said.

"Did you love your sister?" Alessandro asked. "Yes, when we were children we were very close, but when I met Thomas it was like he was driving a wedge between us. I think sleeping with Primrose was his plan, but he was scared that I'd tell someone, or she'd tell someone, so he killed her." Luelle said.

The gang felt a weight on their shoulders, there was another innocent person who deserved justice.

"Tell us about Jack English, this was discussed with you and your husband nine years ago when Beatrice was murdered." Alessandro said, "Let's talk about him."

Luelle took a deep breath. "Jack English was a guest in the hotel. He did not murder my daughter."

The gang, for a second, weren't sure what she had just said, but Velma had written it down ' _Jack English did not kill Beatrice Clifford.'_

"What happened?" Alessandro asked. "Elias, Toby, Maggie, Rosie and Beatrice were playing in the hotel. I told them not to play on the stairs, they didn't listen. Beatrice tripped over a toy car and fell backwards down the stairs, she broke her neck and her spine. She was dead before I even knew what happened. All I heard was the children scream." Luelle said, wiping a tear from her eye.

"Jack English was asleep in his room, sleeping off a hangover, the commotion woke him up and he came to see what had happened. Thomas, I don't know why, called the police and said that Jack English threw Beatrice down the stairs." Luelle said.

"You went along with it?" Alessandro asked. "Yes." Luelle said. "An innocent man is sitting in prison, serving a life sentence for a murder he did not commit." Alessandro said sharply, Luelle nodded.

"Thomas had the children testify against him, they were so scared, everyone in the courthouse was convinced it was Jack English who killed my daughter." Luelle said.

Green stopped writing, he put his pen down and folded his note pad, he was done writing and focused his attention on Luelle.

"Where are the children?" Green asked. Luelle took a deep breath, "Thomas told the children that Beatrice died because of them, because they didn't listen when I told them to stop playing by the stairs. And they should be punished." Luelle said, "Thomas killed them."

Velma stopped writing, she dropped her pen and notepad onto the floor, an even bigger weight was dropped on their shoulders, more and more innocent people being dragged into one man's twisted mind.

"What's this?" Alessandro asked as he turned over the paper, which had been lying face down on the table. He pushed it towards Luelle, she recognised the makeshift map. "I made this." Luelle said.

"What is it?" Green asked. Luelle pointed to the black square with ' **House'** written inside it, "That's the hotel." She said, and then she pointed to each of the X's and O's, "This a map, of where Thomas and I buried the missing people, and our children."

Shaggy ran out of the room and down to the toilets, where he vomited, Velma collapsed onto the floor. Daphne and Fred were frozen in many mixed emotions; horror, anger, guilt and sadness.

"Thomas intended on killing guests, but he didn't say why. But he allowed me to keep the photographs of the children hanging on the walls."

"You allowed your husband to kill your children and bury them in the garden with the rest of your murder victims." Green said angrily, his voice raising with each word, Alessandro put his hand firmly on Green's, who regained his composure.

The two detectives and the gang knew they had a long road ahead of them. Shaggy soon returned from the bathroom, Fred stood up and made Shaggy sit in the chair.

"He forced me to kill too, or he'd kill me too and tell everyone that it was me who killed all the children and Primrose." Luelle said, tears dripping down her face. "But-but sometimes, killing felt like…like second nature." Luelle stuttered. "Sometimes I liked it."

"Thomas' parents found out, they knew that Jack English didn't kill Beatrice and they knew that Thomas killed the children. They walked into our bedroom and saw the children lying on floor. He forced them to keep quiet, but he couldn't trust them, so he killed them too." Luelle said. "And made up the story that they died in a car crash?" Alessandro asked.

Luelle nodded, "He had a friend who worked for The Times, he told them that they died in a car crash and he printed it in the eulogy section but there was no funeral date." Luelle said

"Did you bury them at the hotel too?" Alessandro asked. "No, I don't know where they are." Luelle said.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Nine o'clock in the morning, the air was cool and slightly breezy, the sun was rising over Clifford House, almost as if it was a sign.

"Are you going to be ok?" Fred asked. "Yeah, I'll solider through." Shaggy said, "These innocent people are relyin' on me, these kids are relyin' on us." He looked at the team of detectives who were gathered outside Clifford House.

It had been a week since the arrests and Fred and Shaggy joined Alessandro, Green and a few other detectives from Topaz Police Station to recover the victims buried on the house grounds, using the map that Luelle Clifford had made.

The road was blocked half a mile left and right of the house, to stop any media intrusion and crime scene contamination. The news was all over the murder case, but the names of the victims had not been released. In fact, they only mentioned that two people had been murdered, they had not been identified.

This was the only time that Fred felt relieved that Daphne wasn't with him. When they recovered the victims from the ground the detectives made comments, about how cruel someone could be to do this to innocent people. Then they recovered the remains of the Clifford Children, the group of detectives had to take a break.

"Listen up people," Shaggy said, as he looked at the faces of the detectives, "We're here today for these people, includin' these kids. They're countin' on us t'help them. So, let's get back to work."

Fred admired that Shaggy, even in a time of despair, could always think so positively, and his speech encouraged the detectives, who, as Shaggy put it, "soldiered on".

By the end of the day, they had recovered the remains twenty-four victims. The bodies of the couple who were murdered the other night in the hotel, were recovered from the basement on the night of the arrests.

The remains were taken straight to the lab for examination.

And when the gang returned to New York the next day, not much had changed since leaving Michigan.

Daphne and Fred rarely slept, sleepless night number eight was coming up. Every time, Daphne closed her eyes she saw Luelle with an axe or hearing the words in the back of her mind, " _The children are buried in the garden_." And Daphne would wake in a cold sweat.

Fred drank four cups of coffee in the morning to keep him awake while he drove the gang back to New York, refusing to let anyone take over from him. HIis mother was phoning them every hour, checking up on them.

When Shaggy hadn't drunk himself into a blacked out 'sleep', he and Scooby stayed awake, not talking or watching TV, but sitting in silence. When they returned to Buffalo, Shaggy and Scooby walked around the local park, there were kids playing on the swing set, Mr Goldblum threw a tennis ball for his dogs to chase, and a group of small children were playing Duck, Duck, Goose and laughed with excitement.

For a few seconds they forgot about the murder case, until they saw a man reading a newspaper headlined; **24 BODIES RECOVERED IN CLIFFORD MURDER CASE.**

Then it was time to go home. Whilst they were away, a new kebab shop opened up by their apartment building, and Shaggy was grateful that they had the Subway across the road from their office.

Velma was the only one who slept, she was the only one who made it through the day without crying or rethinking about their night at the hotel. She slept through her nightmares, she thought if she got the sleep she needed she didn't care about the nightmares, she thought they would go away soon, but it would be months until she slept without seeing Luelle and Thomas Clifford in her dreams. If she 'soldiered on' through the day, then it made her feel a little bit better, and the gang admired her.

The day after they returned to Buffalo, they were in their office.

The results from the lab were sent to them, the detectives had successfully identified the victims, they knew that 6 of the victims were Elias, Toby, Maggie and Rosie Clifford and the two who the gang had witnessed being murdered in the hotel, they were identified as Rachel and Michael Herman.

Daphne and Fred sat in the office, going through all the missing persons files from the victims to get the addresses of their families. They decided that they were going to visit their families and give them the unfortunate news. Velma, Scooby and Shaggy stayed behind, Shaggy dealt with the press who had gathered outside their office. Daphne and Fred went out the back way to Daphne's car.

"Two of our colleagues have gone t'inform the families of the victims. Before anymore details are released, the families have the right t'have their privacy respected and the time t'grieve." Shaggy said, before he returned to the office and pulled the blinds down, the press left not long after.

Daphne drove back to Michigan, "Do you think we should have flown?" Fred asked. "What, and be hassled by the press, no we'll be fine." Daphne said. "Are we going to-" Fred began. "No, we're not staying in a hotel, we'll sleep in the car." Daphne said, stubbornly.

This was something else he would have to get them both through, a new fear of hotels. Sounds ridiculous but after the night they had, Daphne told herself she'd never go into another hotel again.

One of the victims was Sarah Jane Pepper, Fred read the file and told Daphne that she has four sisters; one older and three youngers.

Daphne and Fred parked outside the house, it was lucky if Sarah's family still lived there as she had been missing for five years. Daphne looked at the house through the car window, a white picket fence, surrounded the pale blue house.

As they walked up the path, Daphne admired the flowers growing in the front garden. This is how she imagined her house with Fred.

Fred knocked on the door. A woman opened the door, she greeted them with a smile. Her brown hair pulled back into a ponytail, she was probably in her mid-forties. "Hello." She smiled. "Hello, are you Mrs Pepper?" Daphne asked. "Yes, who might you be." The lady asked.

"I'm Detective Jones and this is my partner Detective Blake, may we come in?" He asked, Daphne and Fred showed her their badges, which they had recovered from the hotel. Mrs Pepper looked into his eyes, her smile fade, she nodded. "It's about Sarah, isn't it?" She asked. "Yes." Daphne said.

"Please sit down." Mrs Pepper said as she led Fred and Daphne into the living room, "I'll get my husband." She wondered into another room, "I think she knows." Daphne said quietly. Mrs Pepper returned with a man who looked like the girl in the picture inside the file Fred held.

"We were investigating the disappearance of Harry and Jessica Allen." Daphne began, "We discovered that they had stayed at the Clifford House Hotel, in Ironwood. Your daughter also stayed there." Daphne said, she felt her heart racing, how can she tell them their daughter was murder and buried, leaving the Pepper's thinking she was missing.

"Unfortunately." Daphne shuddered, "Unfortunately, your daughter was killed in the hotel."

"What?" Mr Pepper asked. "We arrested one of the murders just over a week ago, the other one was killed when the police raided the house." Fred said.

"When… When was Sarah killed." Mrs Pepper asked. "Five years ago." Daphne said, "Before she was reported missing."

Mrs Pepper burst into tears, Mr Pepper held her. "How do you know it's Sarah, for sure? The killers could have been lying." He said, trying to remain calm. Daphne took a deep breath, running her hand through her hair.

"Sarah was one of twenty-six, they were all found buried in the grounds of the hotel." Daphne said, she felt like she was going to throw up, her skin turned pale as she watched the couple cry. She heard a noise from upstairs, like a door closing and out the corner of her eye she saw a figure looking down from the staircase, it was one of Sarah's sisters, she looked around eleven years old, so she would have been six when Sarah disappeared.

Mrs Pepper saw her daughter too, "Megan," She said. "Get your sisters and come here." The little girl stepped back up the stairs and returned with four other girls, they all looked like Sarah, same colour eyes, same jaw and nose, but the eldest had darker hair and the youngest, Megan, had blonde hair, like her dad, Sarah had the same hair colour.

Mr and Mrs Pepper broke the news to their daughters, one of them ran upstairs, slamming her bedroom door whilst the other three cried with their parents.

Daphne took Mrs Pepper into the kitchen and helped her make coffee for her husband and warm milk for her daughters, Mrs Pepper smiled as she made the warm milk, "It was Sarah's idea to give Laura and Megan warm milk when they were sick and when they were sad."

"Mrs Pepper, I don't know if this will help you, but I know it would help me. One of the killers, the one who was arrested, will be trialled soon, the courthouse has offered to save seats for the families if you want to attend. It'll be difficult I know, but it might give you closure." Daphne said.

"Have you ever lost anyone, close to you?" Mrs Pepper asked. "No, but my sister has." Daphne said, "Her best friend was killed in a car accident, the other driver was on his phone. My sister went to the courthouse, she listened to the sentencing and she said it helped." Daphne replied.

Mrs Pepper nodded, "We will think about it." Daphne nodded, she wrote her phone number down on a page from her notepad and gave it to Mrs Pepper. "If you decide you want to go to the trail, or if you need me, you can ring me." She said.

Mrs Pepper took the number and wrapped her arms around Daphne, "Thank you Detective." She said, "Call me Daphne." Mrs Pepper smiled.

"That's my name too." Daphne smiled.

Daphne and Fred visited the other families, it was hard to watch parents and the siblings cry when they told them the awful news, a lot of the families agreed to go to the trial, some didn't, and Fred and Daphne accepted that.

And though it was a rough day, Daphne felt that she could sleep better at night, knowing that some of the families were going to get closure, and the victims were getting justice.

When they returned to their office later that night, they were relieved to see that the press had gone. Velma, Shaggy and Scooby had also gone home, Daphne and Fred put the files back in the office before they returned to their home.

The next morning the phone rang, "Hello?" Daphne answered it, still half asleep with Fred's arm draped over her as he was still snuggled close to her. "Daphne! Turn on Channel Five, quick!" Velma screamed down the phone. Daphne grabbed the remote, turned the TV on and put on Channel 5. Fred woke up when he heard the TV, he sat up and looked at the screen.

A news anchor sat at the desk saying the words, "Judge Arlo James has called for a retrial for Jack English, who, we now learn, was wrongly accused of murdering Beatrice Clifford, nine years ago. We don't have many details on the Clifford murder case, but new evidence suggests Jack English was not the murderer."

Daphne ran her hand through her hair. "This is going to be one hell of a trial." She said. Fred climbed out of bed and made them both coffees, "We'd better get down to the office and get the papers ready." He said.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

The gang returned to Michigan, the trail was coming up soon but there something that the gang felt was more important; the funerals of the victims. The state had offered to pay for the funerals, and though some of them were private, the gang were invited to all of them. It was closure that the gang needed, like going to the trail was closure. The victims were given back to their families and could be given a proper burial.

The last funeral that was held, was for the four Clifford children. Thomas' body was "being taken care of by the state", the gang were told by Detective Alessandro. The families of the other victims attended this funeral too.

The four children were buried next to Beatrice.

A few days later, the gang sat in the courtroom, Scooby was at home with Sugie and Mr and Mrs Rogers, as no dogs were allowed in the courthouse.

The gang sat near the front, in the middle rows were some of the families Daphne and Fred had visited, Luke from the gas station and Roy Bottleman. The gang felt the anger fill the courthouse as the officer led Luelle Clifford into the courtroom. It was the state of Michigan verses Luelle Clifford.

The trial was as gruelling as the gang expected it to be; they had to listen to one of the attorneys read out each missing person's report, Luke was taken to the stand as he was the last person to see three of the victims alive; his cousin Ryan Jackson, and Harry and Jessica Allen, and the gang had to testify against Luelle Clifford, reliving their night in Clifford House, though they were relieved that Rachel and Michael's families had declined their offer to come to the courthouse.

The next person to take to the stand was Jack English. A wave of sympathy and guilt filled the room, the last time Jack English was in a courtroom, he was accused of a murder he did not commit and was sentenced to life.

The gang had only ever seen a picture of him, but he looked friendlier in person. He had soft blue eyes, dark blonde hair and a gentle smile. " _How could anyone think this guy is a killer?_ " Shaggy thought to himself.

"Mr English, can you please tell us what happened on the morning of September nineteeth two thousand and nine." The attorney said. "Yes." Jack English began, "The night before I had met some friends who were staying at the caravan park not far from the diner near the hotel, we all got cabs back. In the morning I woke with an awful hangover, I got a glass of water from the bathroom and went back to bed."

The attorney nodded, "Go on."

"Then, I'm not sure how much time went by, but then I heard a noise, it was a thud and then children screaming. I jumped out of bed, I thought one of them was badly hurt. I got to the top of the stairs, where four of kids were, Mrs Clifford was at the bottom of the stairs, crying. I didn't see her at first, I just heard her. Then I looked down the stairs and saw one of the little girls lying on the floor, her leg on the bottom step."

"Then what happened?" The attorney asked.

"Mr Clifford came running in, he asked what happened and Mrs Clifford said Beatrice fell down the stairs."

"And Mr Clifford accused you of throwing Beatrice down the stairs in a drunken rage." The attorney said.

"Yes sir, he did. Not straight away, it was when the ambulance arrived at house with a police car. Mrs Clifford begged him not to tell them the children had not listened to her, and Beatrice fell because of it. I think the eldest was one of the boys, he was like eleven. She was worried the police were going to take them away."

"So, Mr Clifford told them it was you and when you told them it wasn't you, they arrested you?" The attorney asked.

"Yes sir, because the children told the police it was me."

"Thank you, Mr English, that is all." The attorney said, the judge nodded as Jack English returned to his seat at the table with his lawyer.

The next to the stand was Luelle Clifford, the anger had returned to the courthouse.

"Mrs Clifford, you stand accused of murdering twenty-six innocent people, four of those are your own children." The attorney said.

"I did not kill my children." She said.

"But you stood and watched as your husband did and watched as he buried them outside the hotel." The attorney replied.

Luelle swallowed. "You didn't stop him, you let him blame your children for murdering their sister and you let an innocent man serve a sentencing for a murder he did not commit." The attorney said.

"You don't understand what he was like." Luelle said. "Are you trying to say that Mr Clifford threatened you? He forced you to let him kill your children and bury them, he forced you to murder twenty-two people and help him bury them?" He attorney asked. "You can't use that card, Mrs Clifford, you told Detective Alessandro and Detective Green that, I quote 'killing felt like second nature'." He looked at the woman, who looked right back at him.

"Can I tell you something about my husband?" She asked. "Of course." The attorney said. "I don't know how his parents went wrong with him. They were amazing, but he was like…like he wasn't theirs, he was just too different from them to be theirs." Luelle said.

"I told the detectives, and it's probably in your notes there!" She exclaimed, pointing to the paper on the table behind the attorney. "Thomas killed my sister, he had sex with her and then the next day he killed her."

"Whilst you and Thomas were a couple?" The attorney asked. "Yes." Luelle replied. "Did you tell anyone about him killing her?" He asked.

"…No." Luelle said, guiltily. "It's too late for guilt." The attorney said. "How long ago was she killed?" He asked. "She was killed in nineteen eighty-two." Luelle said. "She was sixteen?" The attorney asked.

"Yes."

"She was killed six years before you and Thomas opened your hotel. You were both twenty-five at the time of the hotel opening and nineteen when your sister was killed?"

"Yes."

"When did you have your first child?" He asked.

"In June Nineteen ninety-eight."

"And Toby was two years later?"

"Yes."

"The detectives Jones, Blake, Dinkley and Rogers interviewed Mr Roy Bottleman, who used to work for Thomas' parents, he was their gardener." The attorney began, "He told them that he quit his job to look after his sick wife. You've already heard what he had to say earlier. He said that the last time he saw Thomas' mother, Alice Clifford, was in the market. He said she looked nervous, he mentioned you have three more children, they would be Margert, Rosie and Beatrice, correct?"

"Yes."

"Then she left the market in a hurry. A few days later he heard they'd died in a car accident, but there was no funeral date in the papers."

"No there wasn't."

"We refer to the interrogation from detectives Green and Alessandro, you told them that Thomas killed them and had his friend in who worked for The Times put a eulogy, which was fake, into the papers."

"Yes."

"What happened to Alice and Jacob Clifford?"

"I don't know."

"Really?"

"I _don't_ know."

"What did Thomas do to them?"

"I don't know, he told me he'd handle it!"

"Alice and Jacob died in two thousand and ten, six months after Beatrice died, five months after Elias, Toby, Margret and Rosie were murdered. Alice and Jacob knew Thomas had killed them, and Mr English did not kill Beatrice."

"They didn't know that Jack English didn't kill Beatrice. I told the detectives, Alice and Jacob came to see how the children were doing after the trial." She took a deep breath. "They walked into our bedroom and saw the children lying on the floor."

"What did they say?"

"They didn't seem to notice anything was wrong, until Jacob saw the blood on the floor and all over their clothes."

"What did Thomas do to them?"

Luelle cried. "We had a solid marble statue in our bedroom."

"He killed the children with the statue?"

"Yes. He did."

"And you watched, did nothing?"

"Yes, I did."

Everyone in the courtroom had tears pouring from their eyes, the attorney tried to remain composed, and the judge.

The attorney took a deep breath. "The axe that was removed from the home, that the four detectives saw your killing Rachel and Michael Herman with, was that same weapon used for all of your victims?"

"Yes, it was. Before Beatrice died, Thomas chopped logs in the garden for the place. Elias and Toby carried the chopped pieces of wood into the hotel and put them into the basket next to the fire. Then when Beatrice died, after Thomas killed the children. He burned the basket on a bonfire in the garden." Luelle said. "He burned the children's clothes, toys, books and board games. Keeping the bed sheets and beds for the hotel rooms,"

"He had no remorse for what he had done?"

"No. Clearly not.

"Do you have any remorse for murdering the innocent people who stayed at your hotel?"

Luelle stayed silent.

"That is all your honor."


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

It only took a couple of days for the jury to come up with their decision. Everyone filed back into the courthouse and the attorney stood up one more time.

"Mrs Clifford you have been charged with murder in the first degree, four of those murders were your own children, Elias, Toby, Margret and Rosie Clifford, and for the murders of twenty-two other innocent people; Jessica and Harry Allen, Ryan Jackson, Monica and Andrew Taylor, Molly Brown, Hannah Farr, Rachel and Michael Herman, Ellis Moon, June Blue, Sarah Pepper, Timothy Rose, Jacob Black, Daniel Harper, Amy Cross, Grey and Tyler Johnson, Michelle Blackwell and Ruby Richards. I will now let jury take over." 

The attorney sat down, and a lady who stood in the jury stand rose to her feet, holding a piece of paper in her hands. "On this day, March twenty-second two thousand and eighteen, we as the jury find the defendant Luelle Clifford guilty on all twenty-six charges of murder in the first degree." She had, everyone was relieved she had been found guilty, "You will be given the death sentence."

Some people were relieved, others weren't, Daphne Ann Blake was one those unrelieved people. She rose to her feet, "Your Honour, do you mind if I say something?" She asked. The judge nodded and pointed to the stand. Daphne stepped out into the aisle and up to the stand, she looked at Luelle, who was crying after hearing the verdict, but Daphne didn't care about her, she looked up to the families, her friends and her Freddie.

"If Mrs Clifford is to be given the death sentence she will be dodging justice. And after everything the families have been through, and Mr English who was wrongly accused and forced to serve a life sentence for a life which he played no part in taking, I think it would only be fair for Mrs Clifford to serve life sentence that Mr English was given." Daphne said, feeling proud that she had the balls to indirectly correct the jury.

The judge looked at her, the jury looked at her, the attorneys looked at her, Mr English and the families looked at her gratefully and the gang looked at her proudly.

"Hmmm." The judge mumbled. The attorney looked at the judge curiously, before looking back at Daphne, who suddenly felt a lump in her throat. "You make a good point, Detective Blake." The judge said.

"Mrs Clifford, you are guilty of twenty-six counts of murder in the first degree, and thanks to Detective Blake, you will not be given the death sentence, but you _will_ serve a life sentence in prison, with no chance of parole." The judge said.

The entire courtroom felt a wave a of relieve, Daphne's heard was racing, " _Did I just do that?_ " She asked herself.

Daphne sat back down next to Fred and the others, "Well done." He said. "Nice one Daph." Shaggy said.

When the gang stepped out of the courtroom, Jack English stopped them. "I want to thank you guys so much for everything you've done, not just for what you've done for me, but what you did for those families." Jack said. "We're just doing our job, Mr English." Velma said.

"The judge had my criminal record stripped, though this was the only crime ' _I committed_ ', but the damage has been done, five innocent kids are dead, and I missed the funeral of my beloved grandmother, who believed I was innocent all along."

"I'm sorry about your grandma, buddy." Shaggy said.

Jack English looked back at the group of people behind him, "I was in prison for eight years, I missed the births of my nieces and nephews. I'd better go, they're at home waiting to meet me." He said.

"One more thing, Jack." Shaggy said. "What's up?" Jack asked. "I know this guy, his name is Doctor Leopold Febre, he can help you find a job, get you back on your feet an' help you find somewhere t'live." Shaggy said. "Thanks Shaggy, but after everything I have been through, and everything my family have been through, I want to be a detective, like you guys." Jack said.

"Well, Doctor Febre can help you find a job while you go to law school and when you graduate we'll get you a job with us." Fred said. "Seriously?" Jack asked. "Yes, but you have to work really hard at law school." Daphne said. "Yes, yes. I'm going to do it!" Jack said, adamantly. "Good luck, Jack. We'll be in touch." Fred said.

Jack hugged them all and left with his family, who also thanked the gang for everything they had done for Jack. Shaggy knew that they would be seeing at lot more of Jack English and his family, he didn't mind, they seemed like nice people.

The gang returned to New York, going to their homes. Johnny and Georgie were sentenced for having knowledge of the murders a few days after Luelle's trial.

A few months had passed, and the gang had kept in touch with Jack English, every two weeks they decided to meet up to discuss his progress.

Jack visited Doctor Febre as Shaggy had recommended, "I finally got a job!" He said happily, as they sat in the café down the road from their office.

"Awesome! Where?" Shaggy asked. "It took me a while, and a lot of people recognised me from the trail and refused me, but one place didn't." Jack said. "Where is it?" Fred asked. "In a warehouse, I deliver home appliances to customers and take broken appliances back to the warehouse for repair." Jack said. "Do you like it?" Daphne asked. "Yeah, I do. Some people recognise me from the trail, but they're nice people. And I've…got a date tomorrow." Jack said.

"What?" Daphne asked. "Her name is Delilah, she works in the warehouse and she asked me to go out for dinner with her tomorrow night." Jack said smiling.

"Congratulations, buddy!" Shaggy said, excitedly. "And how is law school?" Velma asked.

"It's going great!" Jack exclaimed. "My lecture says I'm doing really well and I am."

"Keep up the good work buddy, you're doing great. The gang an' I can't wait for you t'start with us." Shaggy said. "Thanks man." Jack replied.

"How are your nieces and nephews?" Velma asked. "They love me," Jack said in awe, "I'm staying with my mom until I can afford somewhere to live, and because my sister and my brother-in-law are at work during, the kids staying with my mom." Jack said.

By the beginning of the following year, Jack English became Detective English, working with Scooby and the Gang, and he was due to marry Delilah in the September of the same year.

In a cell in Louisiana Prison, Luelle Clifford sat on the floor, rocking slowly. "Elias, Toby, Maggie, Rosie, Beatrice…Thomas." Her heart ached as she scratched Thomas' name onto the wall with a stone from the yard.

"Harry, Jessica, Jason, Cassie, Ryan, Monica, Andy, Molly, Hannah, Rachel, Mike, Ellis, June, Sarah, Timothy, Jake, Danny, Amy, Grey, Tyler, Michelle, Ruby." She wrote their names onto the wall.

"I'm sorry."

 **The End**


End file.
